One More Chance
by jumarxie
Summary: Edward Cullen: Vice-President of Cullen Enterprises, bachelor and father of one. Who'd have ever thought that he still wishes for something? One chance to correct a mistake he made 8 years ago. Companion story to "Reasons Why He Drives Me Crazy" AH
1. A Love Once Lost, Now Found

So here it is- as requested by you peeps, I've posted EPOV in RWHDMC.

Hope you all like it!

Summary: After committing a mistake that had caused the break-up of his relationship with his girlfriend, Isabella Swan, Edward Cullen was willing to turn back time to redo his mistake but he was given something much greater. Unbeknownst to both of them that their parents had created a contract stating that their first son and daughter would get married to each other once they reached the age of twenty-three.

She promised she'll never give in to him while he promised that he'll get to have at least one more chance before he gives up.

What starts as a war between the two turns out to be something inevitable…

Companion Story for "Reasons Why He Drives Me Crazy" but could be read independently (Told in Edward's Point of View).

Reflections of a Beautiful Morning

The sun rises above the hillcrest,  
As does the joy of my heart;  
Rays of warmth and love,  
From her I will never depart.

Fresh dew upon the grass,  
Young birds chirp in their nests;  
I watch her gently sleep,  
My love to her I silently profess.

I enjoy the stillness and calm,  
Watching as she smiles and dreams;  
She brings me to stillness and peace,  
Like that of a slow flowing stream.

My heart and soul flow with love,  
And I smile as I quietly reflect;  
I've been handed a sweet princess,  
A sweet princess to love and to protect.

A vow to myself I make,  
As she quietly sleeps away;  
To love and always cherish her,  
Until my last breath... until my last day.

- Michael Brieck -

**Preface**

We all make mistakes.

It's perfectly normal to create one because we learn from it. I admit I've made a whole lot of mistakes since the day I was born. I've made minor mistakes that would give anyone a laugh when they hear it and I've also made earth-shattering mistakes that make me want to return back to the time so that I could undo it.

I once made the age-old mistake of passing my mother the salt jar while she was mixing dough for cookies. It was Halloween and my mother has a tradition of baking my favorite sugar cookies before I was suppose to go trick-and-treating. However, there was this particular year that I was ecstatic to go out because I heard that there was going to be this cute girl who's coming with my group of friends to trick-and-treat. I didn't bother to read the label and since then, I always checked the label before passing anything to my mom whenever she cooks.

My tongue still remembered the taste of those cookies that we have to give to the neighbor's dog because it was too disgusting to eat.

The cookie incident was one of my minor mistakes. The major mistakes that I've made were few but they were what have made an impact on my life.

I had a relationship with this girl back in high school and I honestly thought that she was the person I was meant to share my life with. I loved everything about her; the carefree way that she would laugh, her expressive eyes that could never lie to anyone and her simplicity. I loved… the whole essence of her. She was a refreshing breath of air whenever I feel stressed; I could count on her to be there. I treasured her… I knew she was precious.

She was easy to please. She didn't want me to be disappointed but I want to give her everything. I don't want _her _to be disappointed. In fact, the only mistake I made was that I ever let her go.

Her name was Isabella Swan and I loved her like I have never loved anyone before.

x

My parents created the Cullen Enterprises after their marriage. The Enterprises' main duty is international trade although we do sell products we found worthy and stamp it with our signature: the Cullen crest. The main office is located at the heart of Seattle and it's always bustling with activities. My father always chose his employees with care so that's why all the employees are efficient like machines.

My office is located at the twenty-second floor overlooking the street view below. It was fully furnished and equipped with modern equipments. The desk was near the window and all of my work was spread on it as of the moment. My laptop was up and running and I saw another "You Got Mail!" messages on it but I chose to ignore it at the meantime. I was at the telephone with my father talking about a topic he deems important.

"I've sent her folder to you yesterday," my father was saying through the phone. "It should be on your desk by now. If it's not there, you could call your secretary. I'm sure she may have it."

Carlisle was talking about the folder containing information about my future wife. I've been told about my engagement since I was seventeen and I could still remember the day as clearly as though it was yesterday. I thought it was the end of the world because I had to break up with Bella then. Circumstances change though; I didn't even have the chance to break up with her because Bella broke up with me. Not that I still wanted to talk about that… Bella is- and forever will be - my past.

I searched through the incoming folders piled on top of my desk and spotted the one my father was talking about.

"It's all right, Dad. I saw the folder." I opened the folder and curiously looked at the picture of the person I was engaged to since childhood; the girl who will bear my name in the future.

I preferred to not think about her at all since she was part of the reason of my break-up with Bella. She was someone that I had to marry because of some contract my parents created with another couple before I was even born. However, I can't deny that she got my curiosity this time.

Just who was this girl who was as unfortunate as I to get engaged to someone she didn't love in this century?

I think I may have dropped my phone by mistake when I saw the picture because I could vaguely hear Carlisle faintly yelling, "Edward? Are you still there, son? Edward?"

I don't know how long I stared at the picture of the smiling girl. _It was almost too good to be true. It's as if this came right out of my dreams._ I traced her picture with my thumb reverently, longing to caress the real thing.

I came back to my mind a few moments later and remembered that I was still talking to my father. I reached for the phone on my lap and slowly brought it up to my ear. "I've seen her picture, dad. Are you sure that she's really the woman I'm going to marry?"

"I wouldn't send her folder if she wasn't, Edward," Carlisle exasperatedly said. "All the details I've managed to find are there. You can read the folder before we go to her house tonight. I expect you to be here by five, understand?"

"Yes."

"Now listen here, Edward, I know you've always been opposed to this engagement ever since we announced it to you out of the blue but I want you to dine with us tonight. Give the girl a chance, Edward. You might find something in common with her."

"I'll go with you, dad," I promised. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

He noticed the change in my tone and suddenly began to say sternly, "Are you lying to me, Edward?"

"No, I'm not. I'll be there, I promise," I assured him and hung up. I returned the phone to its cradle and gazed at the picture once more as I whispered her name; the name I wasn't sure I was ever going to say again after all these years…

"_Bella_."

Chapter One- A Love Once Lost, Now Found

It Is You I Dream Of

A flower grows from beneath a blanket  
Of fine and purest white  
It reaches toward the sun for warmth,  
For heat and for the light

My love for you grows stronger still,  
Despite the surrounding cold  
My heart is yours, bartered gone  
For yours has it been sold

Its petals shine from morning dew  
Its stem grows stiff and strong  
It stands strong through the freezing cold  
It stands the winter long

I long for you, for your soft touch  
I miss the way you smile  
The longer that we stay apart  
The longer every mile

The flower stretches through the snow  
It reaches toward the sun  
And now without you the color is gone  
The flower's petals, dun

But as we talk, and as we learn  
The flower comes back to life  
The snow now melts and goes away  
As you take away my strife

Spring is here and growth abounds  
As you and I are one  
We are together, we are in love  
The snow for now is done

I see the future, in dreams I have  
Of our life, long and true  
I see the times where all I need  
Are comforting words from you

I see the times when winter comes  
As winter tends to do  
But we still love, and we still live  
And I do still love you

And so we live, with children ours  
And a life of much to see  
With love we live, to live we love  
Happy together are we

I see the flower, older now,  
But still strong with fresh new leaves  
I see it growing, tall and strong  
Reaching to the eaves

We are now old, as years have passed  
But old together are we  
And strong our love still today  
As strong as it can be

- J.R. King –

I've always loved poetry since I was a child when Esme, my mother, read me Shakespeare's Sonnet XVI. I've never told anybody about my love for poetry though, even Bella. I once thought that if I loved poems then something must be wrong with me but I changed my thinking after Bella came to my life.

Poetry is putting love into words. The more time I had spent with Bella; the more I understood poetry. No matter how hard I tried to find a poem that would suit Bella, it just doesn't fit her wholly. It was like a jigsaw puzzle; some parts fit while others didn't.

It was my dream to write the poem that would fit for my love for Bella; it would be my ultimate profession of love. It would be my surprise, once she had forgiven me… _if _she did forgive me.

Speaking of which, I had just had an idea how to start my poem for her. _A love once lost, now found… _That's exactly the beginning I was looking for.

I closed my poetry book when Carlisle told me that it was time to go. I've always liked that particular poem in my book because it was what I want my love to be like with Bella. One that still lives after every season; it never dies, it only grows.

"Charlie and Renee, it's wonderful to see you again," Esme greeted Bella's parents.

_Funny how I've always wanted to meet Bella's parents long ago but had to wait for the right moment… and to think that they would be the parents of my "fiancé" was ironic indeed._

"And you as well," Renee returned. Her smile grew wide when she saw me. "So this is Edward?"

"Yes, it's nice to meet you, Mrs. Swan," I said politely.

"Call me Renee. I always feel old when someone calls me that," Renee replied.

"We'll have to wait for Bella, I'm afraid," Charlie said. "She might have been caught in traffic."

_Or she might not want to see me again, _I thought but I dismissed it as soon as I thought of it.

_Nonsense, she_ _doesn't know about the engagement as far as I know. Didn't she? Didn't _she_?_

I felt my eyes widen at the possibility of Bella knowing our engagement.

"Mrs. Swan?"

"Renee, dear."

"Uh, right. Renee, does Bella know about this-" I made a motion of pointing to myself.

"The engagement? Of course not." Renee laughed. "Actually, I'm a bit nervous tonight because we're planning to surprise her with the news of her engagement. And knowing my daughter, she wouldn't give in without a fight so…"

Hold on…_Bella_? Are we talking about the same Bella here? The Bella I know from high school was always shy and she almost always agrees easily to anything to avoid arguments.

What happened to her? Even the folder I read containing her information went this way:

Bio: Isabella is the only daughter of Charlie and Renee Swan; a vice president of her parent's company known for her ambition to stay on top of the business. She's pretty but according to her employees, she has never been in a relationship before. She's said to be hot-tempered and impatient, more of a fighter than a peacemaker once provoked.

That was not the Bella I know. Maybe Carlisle got the wrong information, I decided. That must be it.

**So keep in mind that updates will NOT be frequent. I have another story that I've just started and my semester break had only ended so yeah, I'll be busy.**

**Though I'd still love to hear your thoughts ^_^**

**jumarxie **


	2. A Love Once Strong, Now Fragile

**I could see that the chapter is a bit short so I've decided to update the next chapter if not this weekend then on Monday- not sure what time though. **

**I would also like to give a shout out to lilianyas who seriously made me laugh after she had reviewed EVERY chapter of "Reasons Why He Drives Me Crazy." I believe she's also planning to put the story in her blog. **

**Anyway, on with Chapter Two… **

Chapter Two- A Love Once Strong, Now Fragile

**Absence**

"…Come to me, my love, I die without you.

Each day is eternity, waiting for your touch.

Remove the tears from my eyes and the ache in my heart,

Be closer than my breath, all my days, all my nights…"

I was wrong.

Four hours later (it appeared that Bella was late), I could hear Bella's raised voice inside the family room. She was furious; and who wouldn't be? I'd been furious myself when I learned about this engagement but for different reasons. I was angry that I'd been engaged to someone because I'd still been with Bella that time.

_It was ironic to think about it but the thing is… I didn't find it funny to begin with._

Minutes later it seemed, we were ushered in by the maid. I was vaguely aware that the parents were greeting each other again but I was barely noticing the conversation, I was focused on the chair near me; the chair that held her.

It must have been hours later when Charlie finally said, "Let me introduce you to my daughter, this is Isabella."

_Bella_, my mind immediately corrected as I remembered how she hated to be called her full name. And sure enough, she snapped out her retort as she extended her left hand to me.

_What was that about? Her _left _hand?_

"Bella," she retorted as she inspected me.

I watched the emotions play in her eyes as she made her "first" impression of me. She was satisfied, that much I could see but I still felt myself tensing as I waited for her to finally realize that she was not only shaking the hand of some guy.

I felt it before I saw it; the slightest widening of her eyes, the fury beginning to start, the anger…

She stopped shaking my hand a second after her recognition. "Edward Cullen, is that you?" She asked, the venom evident in her voice.

"Oh you two know each other?" Charlie questioned, oblivious to his daughter's rising distress.

"Yes, we do 'know' each other in the typical sense of the word but I can't marry him. You can't force me. I mean, who makes arranged marriages in the 21st century for crying out loud? And why do you have to marry me off to him- of all people, dad?" Tears fell down from her cheeks in her annoyance.

I saw her lips thinned as she realized she was crying and she wiped those tears away before I could make a move to comfort her.

How could I even comfort her without adding more to her distress?

"What's the matter, dear?" Esme asked her concernedly.

_Now why didn't I think of that? _I thought to myself wryly.

_That's right; I already know what the matter was._

"Carlisle, Esme," she began, "I'm sorry but I can't marry your son. We just have too many differences and… it would be better for him as well."

Wait a minute, she had to stop this or the engagement might not continue. This was the only way I could I have my connection with her right now. I have to stop her… but how?

"Trust me. I didn't know that I was engaged to you as well until tonight-" Which was partly true. "What happened to your hand?" I spotted a scar on her right hand- the hand she didn't use to shake my hand –and felt curious as to how she got that because she never had that before.

"It's nothing. Forget it," she insisted, trying to hide her hand from me but it was a futile effort.

Did she really think I was going to give up when I already saw it?

I drew near her, grabbed the hand she hid and brought the hand to my face to inspect it more closely.

This was no ordinary scar that much I could gather. The skin was still puckered out and it was on the faces of her hand which meant that the thing that had caused this scar- whatever it was –had gone through but I wasn't interested in _what _caused this, I only needed to know _who_.

"How did you get it?" I managed to get out through my clenched teeth.

"It was nothing. It was an accident. It was-"

"A souvenir of her accident from a party eight years ago," Renee interrupted her.

What?

I clenched my fists at the thought of Bella being in an accident. When was this? How come I never knew this if it was eight years ago? The only accident I knew Bella had eight years ago was when… but that was impossible, wasn't it?

The thoughts I was having must have shown on my face because Bella was quick to add some excuse about her clumsiness.

"Then why can you barely move it?"

She frowned in displeasure at the way I was acting. "Some of the muscles that control motor movement were destroyed."

There was something niggling at the back of my mind though. Something important that I was forgetting, something that had to do with the hand…

Then it clicked.

"But you slapped me with that hand. I remember that morning…" That was the morning when she found me with- never mind that. I tried not to think about that day since it happened because that was the one of the major mistake I've made. "I'm sorry-" I wanted to apologize for that morning but then I remembered that we weren't alone in the room so I changed what I was going to say at the last minute. "Your hand must have hurt when you slapped me."

"I barely felt the pain there. Yes, my hand did hurt when I slapped you that morning but I mostly felt hurt here." She gestured towards her chest and I understood where she was trying to point at.

I inwardly cringed at the picture my mind was giving me at the moment.

She instantly dropped the subject as though it was boring her. "It's part of the past anyway, we shouldn't talk about it anymore. What's present now and what we _do_ need to talk about is the engagement because I can't get married to you."

"Why can't you marry him?" Charlie queried.

"I can't marry him because-"

"Because Bella doesn't like me," I broke in before I could hear the reason why she thought she shouldn't marry me.

It was better to do the damage before another person does; that was always my philosophy from growing up. If you do the injury, you don't need to use defense because when your shield is vulnerable at the first place, what choice do you have but to use a spear?

"Why does everyone keep interrupting me?" She was getting more irritated each passing moment.

_More of a fighter than a peacemaker once provoked, _I remembered that from the folder. And from what I could see, I think she's finally going to 'fighter' mode.

"Why can't you tell all of us the truth?" I countered, still feeling my earlier ire when she hesitated to answer my questions and breezed through the answers.

"Why are you all teaming up on me?" She argued.

_Hot-tempered and impatient…_

It looked like the folder was more accurate in its description of Bella than I was of mine.

"Enough with these mindless questions!" Charlie thundered out in a loud voice. "We're going to give you two weeks to prepare. After those two weeks, you'll have to get married or else!"

_Thank you, Charlie, you don't know how happy that made me! _

"Two weeks? But Christmas celebration is during that week!"

_Does that mean…?_

"You're not going to wed on Christmas day obviously; you're going to get married _before_ that."

_This just keeps getting better._

I had a hard time keeping my face straight but Bella didn't have trouble showing what she was feeling at the moment.

She turned to me with a frown on her face and a wrinkle on her brow. "Why aren't you helping me with this? Don't you want to marry someone who's better suited for you?"

_On the contrary, I don't think there's anyone better suited to me than you…_

I didn't say those out loud though because it might make Bella awkward while the parents are here. Maybe later though…

"To tell you the truth, I'm fine with this arrangement." I gave a nonsense shrug like I had just thought about my answer when I already had my answer months, even years, ago.

"Arrgh, you're all confusing me! Why did we get arranged at birth in the first place anyway? I didn't even know that all of you know each other. No offense to anyone present here but I didn't see you guys at my parents' wedding picture or any family events." She turned to my parents. "In fact, I'm pretty sure I've only seen you guys at the television news before aside from your son, but of course he's another topic and do we really need to discuss _that _particular topic? Because as far as I remember, the 'Edward Cullen' topic inside my brain has long been closed and I have no more reasons to talk- or think -about him anymore."

"That's because we lost contact with each other. We used to go to the same college together and all four of us were friends. We were young and we wanted to be one big family to strengthen our bond and since Renee was already my girlfriend and Carlisle and Esme were together, we figured our future children could do that for us. We made a contract and contacted a lawyer to make it legal. That's how it happened. We'll show the contract this week so that both of you could sign it. And as for that 'Edward Cullen' topic you have closed inside your head, I'm afraid you'll just have to find the lock and open it because the contract is stable enough to get the both of you married whether you want it or not," Charlie answered.

I was thinking that enough was enough. I needed to talk to Bella and there could be no other time than this.

"Could I talk to your daughter privately for a second, sir?"

"Sure, son," the parents agreed.

I was thinking how I should start the conversation when Bella walked away from me and turned to face me with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You want to talk. Now talk. Why are you even agreeing to this? Is this some kind of joke you're all playing on me? Well sorry but April Fools isn't until three months from now."

A joke? She thought this was a joke? Didn't she realize that this was anything but a joke? _Marriage _is anything but a joke.

"This isn't a joke! All I want is a chance for us to be together again, dammit!"

She blinked once whether it was because she was shocked or uninterested I wasn't sure but I continued what I wanted to say. I _needed _to get it out of my system.

"I've had eight years without you… eight years without _my life_. Since you've been gone, I wake up each morning and find that I had to do tedious things over and over again; I ate without savoring the taste of the food and breathing became something I had to do just to continue living which is ironic when you think about it because I don't know… how to live since my life left me."

I could see some hidden emotion in her eyes but I soon forgot about it at her next words. "You almost had me in tears, Edward but you'll just have to save it for the next person who's naïve enough to believe you because I'm not going to fall for your words again. What was once between us… it's over. Now since this agreement seemed to have been well-thought out and it would be difficult for me to leave, I'll accept the two weeks."

Two weeks might seem impossible to change her mind but I was willing to try for the sake of our relationship.

It couldn't end with one mistake.

**Yeah, yeah I get it. It was a bit close to the original but the objective of OMC is to make known Edward's whole POV from RWHDMC so that's that.**

**Tell me your thoughts!**

**jumarxie **


	3. Like a game of hideandseek, she says

**Just to clear things up, I'm not a lawyer so I got the legal jargon from the internet alone. If it has mistakes- which I'm VERY sure there is -I have no idea what they are.**

Chapter Three- Like a game of hide-and-seek, she says, "hide" and I say, "seek"

The thing about making mistakes in a relationship was that sometimes, the person you have hurt once might not want to give you another chance again. Truth be told, the probability of them giving you a chance may be a hundred to one and that's what I was trying to beat: the 100/1 chance of getting Bella back- because if there was even a slightest possibility of fixing this mistake, that's what I'd strive to have.

Having just finished last night's events to my friends, Emmett let out his boisterous laughter and slapped his lap for added effect. I leaned back on my chair, shook my head and waited for his hilarity to abate. Rosalie, Emmett's wife who usually would have slapped the back of his head by this time, laughed with him. And Jasper, my friend and lawyer I keep on retainer, wasn't laughing but he had a small smile on his face.

"What are the odds of two childhood sweethearts to be engaged since birth but they didn't know it? Quite a few," Emmett commented. "And what of those who break up for good only to learn years later that they have to get married in two weeks' time? Apparently, ten to nil but I should have known really. I mean, this is _Eddie _we're talking about; making the impossible happen since the year 2000."

Emmett was the typical joker of the group, the man you could count on for laughs but this time, I found him annoying rather than amusing. The subject was a sore topic for me because I felt like I was walking on a tightrope, one wrong move and I may as well find myself falling to my defeat.

"What about Tanya?" Rosalie suddenly interrupted.

Since the first day that Emmett introduced me to his gorgeous wife, I've always only formed one description for her personality: cold. I'm not saying that she doesn't have any feelings. She does; I've seen her being affectionate with Emmett but rarely do I see that. Rose is the kind of person who only speaks up when she thinks what she has to say is important. Now, I'm not sure if that part is true but based from my whole acquaintance with her, that's always the way she is. I've never asked Emmett their whole background so I don't know what caused that ice around her. Overall though, I could confidently say that Rose is fiercely loyal to the few people she considers her friends and I'm glad that she counts me one because that means that she'd always have my back in any tricky situations. _Always._

I stiffened at the name of my ex-girlfriend; the woman I couldn't describe without having the urge to curse and because I was raise as a gentleman by my parents, I won't describe her in detail- only the crucial elements so as to avoid heavy swearing on my part. I'd tell some of the story and I'd leave it to you to decide what her character is.

Tanya Denali was my girlfriend before Bella, back when I used to think that drinking every Friday and Saturday night and placing bets on anything and everything with the guys of the football team was the ultimate form of amusement. You know that couple in high school that everyone predicts would have their happy endings? Well, that's us. We had it all. I was doing all right with my grades and my football games were improving. I was also starting to think that Tanya just _might_ be the girl for me until Bella transferred to our school.

Sweet, naïve Isabella who was the number one source of entertainment for everyone during party nights on weekends; the girl who was the cause of the increased number of bets around the place, bets about who would be the first to get her to bed; Bella who was the new meat of the school and that was the reason why she was involved in one particular bet that involved me getting to know her intimately and then leaving her for good…

Tanya agreed to the bet, said it would be "good fun." She was eager to see Bella get broken because the girl was stealing all the attention because of all the whispers… whispers of where she came from and who her parents were and where she lived. She definitely lived in the outskirts of town because some of the team had checked the area but none were able to locate her house.

I had a month for the bet and I strived to win it. I have never lost any bet I was in before, I was persistent towards the goal, I was foolish…

If there ever was any girl who had brought me to my knees, it was Isabella Swan.

She wasn't who I thought she was. She wasn't just some frigid girl who doesn't know how to have fun; she _does _know but her shyness kept in the way.

And I started to look forward to our dates. By the end of the bet, I decided that I couldn't do it. I couldn't let her go… so I gave up on the bet, broke up with Tanya and continued with my relationship with Bella.

Tanya didn't take our break up too well. She got mad at me and believed that I was throwing everything away for some mistaken notion that I have of being in love. She also threatened to harm my relationship but I ignored it and shrugged. _What could a girl like Tanya do to us anyway?_ I asked myself then. The truth was, she could do a lot.

And she did.

"What about her?" I questioned.

"Does she know that you're going to get married to Bella? And does Bella know about Selene?"

"They both don't know about the other," I answered shortly.

According to public knowledge, Selene Isabelle Cullen was my daughter but according to her birth certificate, Selene's father was Mike Newton, one of the guys in the football team. However, Tanya (the same Tanya who was my ex-girlfriend) made everyone believe that it was my child she was carrying and forced Bella to leave so that I could act as a father to "my" child.

Long story short, Bella left the town and I learned that Mike Newton was the real father (I wouldn't have found out if I hadn't seen the birth certificate and demanded to know what was going on; Tanya calmly explained that Mike Newton was her child's real father who didn't want the responsibility of taking care of his unborn child. Apparently, she put his name on the certificate so that I'd continually support her because _her _name is written as Selene's mother. I asked Tanya if I could adopt the child and she agreed but the papers still haven't been arranged because Tanya was "having second thoughts about giving up her child" but to the few people who knew what she really wants, it was her own way of getting my monthly support for Selene.)

"Why didn't you tell Bella about Selene? Are you afraid that she's not going to accept her-?"

"No, I know that Bella would accept Selene when she finds out but I've decided not to tell Bella until my adoption is complete. I'd want Bella to be Selene's mother. I know she'd be a good mother. She's always been good with kids."

"And what about Tanya? What if she learns about your engagement?"

"What _could _she do? From what I could gather, the agreement between mine and Bella's parents were locked seal-tight so I doubt that even _she _could stop this marriage when even Bella is planning to fight tooth and nail for the contract to get nulled." I turned to Jasper. "That reminds me, Jasper. The reason why I called you is because I need your help tomorrow to review the contracts. Check if my assumption is true and it doesn't have any loopholes. If it does, try to do everything so that Bella's lawyer wouldn't spot it."

"How do you know that Bella would bring her own lawyer?" He asked.

"Trust me, I know Bella well enough to predict this one. I told you she'd do anything to stop this from happening and I bet you, she _will._"

"You don't sound upset," Jasper commented as he searched my eyes swiftly for my emotions.

"Can you believe it? I'm actually looking forward to the next two weeks. Who knows what Bella would do?" I leaned back and gave a contented sigh.

Everything seemed to be falling in place and to think that I used to think that all hope was lost…

X

GENERAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

OF

CULLEN-SWAN CORPORATION

THIS GENERAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT is entered into this day 15th day of September, 1988, by and between Cullen Enterprises, Inc., a company organized and existing under the laws of the State of Washington ("CE") and Swan, Inc., a company organized and existing under the laws of the State of Washington ("Swan") (each of the parties hereto are hereinafter referred to, individually, as a "Partner," and collectively as the "Partners").

ARTICLE I

NAME

The business of the Partnership shall be conducted under the name "CULLEN-SWAN CORPORATION". The parties shall promptly comply with all laws regarding the use of such name as an assumed name by the Partnership, if necessary.

ARTICLE II

DECLARATION

2.1 The Partnership shall only take in effect if and only if the first-born son and daughter of both parties marry under the conditions set on this agreement (each of the parties' son and daughter hereto are hereinafter referred to, respectively, as "Child Cullen" and "Child Swan").

2.2 This marriage shall be for "beneficial purposes" only.

ARTICLE III

TERMS

3.1 "Agreement" means this Partnership Agreement, as amended, mollified or supplemented from time to time.

3.2 "Beneficial purposes" means that this marriage is for the sole benefit of Child Cullen and Child Swan. This means that anything put in this agreement is believed to be for their general welfare and well-being.

3.3 "Getting-to-Know-the-Other-Meetings" shall mean the period of time wherein Child Cullen and Child Swan will engage in social activities to get to know the other better before the time of the wedding.

ARTICLE IV

PURPOSE

The purpose of this is to (i) form a merger between both companies (ii) to engage both companies in international trade and manufacture and sale of certain products stamped with the Cullen Crest and to (iii) form a partnership not only in business matters but domestic matters between both parties.

ARTICLE V

CONDITIONS

5.1 Child Cullen and Child Swan shall have to both be of age before the introduction of this Partnership.

5.2 (1) In order to avoid any possible reason of unfairness, both parties have agreed that Child Cullen and Child Swan shall have a time to get to know each other whether or not Child Cullen and Child Swan agree to this partnership or not. This period shall henceforth be called "Getting-to-Know-the-Other-Meetings."

(2) The "Getting-to-Know-the-Other-Meetings" is going to take place during the two weeks allotted for preparation of the wedding. The said meetings shall take place three times a week every Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

5.3 At the moment that both Child Cullen and Child Swan have both said their "I do" in the ceremony in whatever word they may have put it as long as it expresses their assent, the Partnership is henceforth considered to be in effect.

5.4 Both parties have stated that after the wedding, no act can ever terminate this Partnership. The said act could entail anything from "divorce" to "break-up" whether in the long- or short-term.

ARTICLE VI

BENEFITS

6.1 Both parties have provided a private resort to where Child Cullen and Child Swan could spend their honeymoon.

6.2 (1) As part of their wedding gifts, Child Cullen and Child Swan shall receive a furnished house with state-of-the-art appliances, employees and a BMW.

(2) Child Cullen and Child Swan shall have a shared position of presidency to the newly-formed Partnership.

X

I didn't know where to comment first when I read the entirety of the contract so I chose the easiest. "It says here that we will receive a house after our honeymoon in a private resort of an island."

"That's the part of the bargain- or our wedding gift for you too. We'll give you the keys to the house after your honeymoon. It comes with full maid service, a pool and a special-made garden for both of you," Charlie responded- rather enthusiastically, I might add. "I had to pay an exorbitant price for an expert gardener to decorate the hedge and plant beds but it was worth it."

_Hmm, I wonder what gave it its "worth."_

I guessed that was the time to let Jasper in.

"If you'll excuse me, I have my lawyer with me today. I just wanted to make sure that this contract won't contain anything I may not like."

_Like loopholes that could let Bella escape from my grasp, for one._

"You're allowed to do that, Edward," Esme said.

Jasper entered the room bringing with him his usual air of confidence and warmth. I saw Bella inspecting him before she smiled.

"I'm Jasper Hale, Edward's lawyer," he introduced himself and shook hands with everyone. I immediately gave him my copy, eager for him to start. "If you all find something to occupy yourselves for a moment why I read this contract that would be great." He sat down next to me, took out his pair of reading glasses and began to read.

"Uh excuse me," Bella suddenly said, giving me a reason to look at her. "While Jasper is reading the contract, I guess it's time for me to say that I also had the same thing Edward had in mind."

"What do you mean?" Renee questioned. There was an air of suspicion around her.

_Hmm, she didn't trust her daughter to go through with the contract. _Though considering the way Bella had acted, I couldn't blame her.

"I hired a lawyer to check the contract for me as well and make sure I'm making a right choice if I sign this contract."

After everyone had agreed, she called out for her lawyer to enter.

Her lawyer entered the room; her energy was evident from the bouncy movements her step made. It would have looked awkward for another but to this girl- no, _woman _–it made her look graceful and enthusiastic at the same time. A glaring contradiction but it suited her.

I wondered how Bella came to know her but then she smiled at me and then I realized who she was.

"Alice?"

Alice Brandon was Bella's only friend in high school. The two of them were inseparable since day one. I've always wondered why Alice hadn't figured out our relationship but since we weren't close before, I guessed that was one reason.

"You must be Edward." A smile was playing at her lip that was similar to the Cheshire cat's in _Alice in Wonderland._ "Bella told me so much about you."

Uh-oh, this girl's geared for fight. I'm glad I know some things about her because it looked like she was planning to bring out the big guns.


	4. Like a memory of an amnesiac, she slips

**I've said it last chapter right? No? Well, I want to say right now that lilianyas rocks! Not only did she add my story in her blog, she also made a banner for it as well. I love, love, **_**love**_** it! You can check out her blog here: **.com

Chapter Four - Like a memory of an amnesiac, she slips away elusively

"She told me some things about you too." I managed to smirk at her even though I was a bit wary. Alice was an important part of Bella's life. If she somehow came to dislike me, that would add as a point against me to Bella so I needed to win.

"Your full name is Edward Anthony Cullen and you don't like anyone to call you, Eddie."

So she wanted to start with the personal stuff? _I_'ll show her personal. "Your full name is Mary Alice Brandon but you prefer to be called Alice. Oh and you hate strangers who make any negative references to your height." Ha, take that, _pixie._

She glared at me as though she knew what I just called her in my mind. As far as I knew, Bella's the only person who managed to call her pixie and survived. "You were a womanizer in sophomore _and_ junior year."

"You've never had a boyfriend since birth but someone was obsessed with you when you were thirteen and you had to move the state."

She shuddered and I felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe what I said was below the belt but she should have known what she'd started.

"You own a silver Volvo and you won't let anyone drive it but you taught Bella how to drive in that same Volvo."

Hmm, that one wasn't so bad. My attack must have caught her off guard.

Well, it just so happened that when you were slightly obsessed with your girlfriend back in high school and you somehow wondered about the people who always surrounded her, you would have checked every detail you could have found about them. Like the fact that she had this best friend of hers named Jacob Black and the guy was _rumored _to like her more than he should. I have my suspicions that this Jacob's feelings were not much of a rumor but the truth.

"You saw a yellow Porsche at a car race when you were ten and you've wanted to have one just like it ever since."

"And I got it for my sixteenth birthday." She grinned before continuing, "You used to call Bella 'love'."

Huh, that sounded almost like a compliment. Was that supposed to scare me out of my socks, hearing someone say, "oooh, Edward Cullen used to call his girlfriend 'love,' isn't that nice?" So what? Did Alice seriously expect me to shrivel up from embarrassment or something? Hell, if I did hear someone say that, I would have stood up more erectly and give them a superior smile. _That's right I called her love, something which _you _can't do obviously, seeing as she's mine._

"Well, _you_ believe in love at first sight." I mean, how old was she? Nine?

"You have a police record for attempted stealing and DWI."

It was a dare! Don't tell me that the pixie hasn't done something idiotic when she was young. In fact, I believe she _has_…

"You shoplifted a lipstick at an M.A.C. store but you also threw it away the day after."

Shrugging, she answered as though the matter was insignificant. "The color was off." And then she narrowed her eyes at me. "_How _did you know all these things?"

"From Bella, of course. I got the rest from the internet." No need to tell her that the rest was from a private investigator I hired.

She turned to Bella and winked. So I'm assuming that meant that pixie thought I was a suitable choice for her best friend? Quick as her wink, she managed to change the topic. "Anyway, my client asked me to come here tonight to check her contract _and_ add a few clauses to the contract she feels she should have by agreeing to this engagement."

"What clauses? If this is some way to get out of this marriage…"

I frowned. I agreed with Charlie. I thought the contract was sealed tight; what if the clause she wanted was a sort of reprieve; a way to create a loophole?

"Bella has already come to terms with this engagement and I assure you, she'll try her best for this wedding to push through," Alice assured Charlie- and to a greater degree, me. I saw her peeked at me and when she saw the expression on my face, her lips tightened thoughtfully.

"Then what is she planning to achieve with this added clauses?"

"After the honeymoon, Bella requests a right for a time for herself every Saturday."

A time for herself? What for? To get some rest from being with me throughout the week, is that it? Did she have some new lover now? Has she replaced me because of what I did? Eight years was a long time to move on from someone. Was I just some past for Bella right now; a pest, a nuisance?

While I began having those brooding thoughts, I felt my hands clenched from irrational jealousy. Jealousy happened to be my only weakness when it came to Bella- and then some. "Is this so she could visit a lover of hers?"

"Don't be ridiculous. She simply wants a day for her to relax all by herself."

Ridiculous. If she wanted a day by herself, she'd stay at home and loll around. Something's going on…

"Bella didn't pursue any type of relationship with anyone after what happened in high school," Alice reported.

I knew that. I knew a lot of things about Bella that I wasn't supposed to know. I was about to defend myself when Jasper interrupted me, "I understand this now."

I glared at him inconspicuously. He must have some inkling of what I was supposed to do and deliberately interceded before I could start. Jasper doesn't interrupt unless it was necessary- so it's either he's telling me that the contract has something that I needed to pay particular attention to or he's telling me to shut up. I had a feeling that he was doing the latter.

I saw Alice eyeing my lawyer and Bella noticed this as well because she started introducing them and before I could sense what was going to happen, _it_ happened. Jasper and Alice stared at each other like the way I saw those people at TV when they're trying to portray two lovers but that was impossible.

These two lawyers are supposed to be working against each other and now they're… what? I heard Jasper whispering something to Alice that made her giggle.

_Geez, didn't they even care about the public that was looking at them expectantly?_

Thankfully, Bella seemed to realize this and she broke them off by clearing her throat. I saw their hands lingering before they let go. It was weird. I've never seen Jasper act like this before.

They must have said something about announcing the contract at the same time because I saw Jasper waiting for Alice to finish checking the contract. I didn't linger on that detail. I was more interested in Jasper's thoughts as he stared at Alice with a… soft emotion? It took everything I had not to say anything about it because let's face it, I don't have the right to even think about how he looked like because I was also whipped when it came to Bella.

Speaking of which, Bella began to tap her foot anxiously while she waited for the pixie to finish.

"What does it say?" She asked.

The contract I read earlier pretty much summed up the whole thing of what they said. However, the only difference was that I liked the sound of how Alice had said when she told us that the marriage was legally binding, "It's like they say, he's yours and you're his forever." Now I would never get tired of hearing that especially after I caught the look on Bella's face. Classic.

"So you didn't tell them- or even Bella -about Selene. You had the chance and you blew it," Rosalie remarked as we entered the coffee shop she discovered a week ago, claiming that the hot chocolates were to die for. "Why didn't you tell them?"

"I couldn't tell them under the circumstances. Can you imagine what I would like- a desperate guy on the edge of his rope? That's too pathetic for words."

It would be like I was _begging _for Bella to take me back.

I didn't want to win Bella by begging, I want to _earn_ her back.

"You won't be pathetic!" Rosalie disagreed. "If you don't tell them, you're going to look foolish when they found out that-"

Emmett interrupted Rosalie when he laughed. "Eddie wouldn't look stupid because he already made himself look foolish years ago and a small thing like this would only seem tiny compared to the other mess-ups he had."

"Tiny? This isn't a tiny thing! It's-"

Emmett cleared his throat, already knowing what his wife was going to say after she had continually repeated it to me since the time they learned about Selene. He leaned forward and muttered, "I just saw Bella with her friend at the table across from us."

I checked the direction and saw that Bella was indeed seating nearby and she was looking at us with an expression that could only be described as curiosity.

"Thank you. Come on, I'm going to tell her about the date I've arranged for the two of us."

Bella noticed us walking towards them and folded her arms defensively.

"Bella, I've already arranged our dinner for Monday evening. Do you want me to pick you up or shall I?" I informed her.

"I could drive there by myself."

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Rosalie asked.

Giving Rosalie a look that she better _not _tell Bella anything that I wasn't ready to tell her, I introduced Bella to my friends.

Fortunately, Rosalie obeyed my silent message. For once. "It's nice to meet you, Bella."

"Yeah, I've been asking to be introduced to you since Eddie here-"

_He better not remind Bella about that night!_

"Em, shut up!" I warned.

I wasn't sure what possessed Rosalie to ask Bella how she felt about marrying me. It might be her way of revenge because I forbade her to tell anything to Bella or she might be plain curious. Whatever her reason may be, I still couldn't help but flinched inwardly when Bella bluntly told her that she didn't like both the arrangement and me.

My two so-called friends chose that time to embarrass the hell out of me; Emmett by laughing about Bella's answer to his wife's question and Rosalie by telling Bella about my reaction to the whole engagement. Then, Bella abruptly stood up and announced that she was leaving. I couldn't do anything but remind Bella about our dinner on Monday.

"I need one more puzzle piece, Daddy," Selene said with a pout. "I can't complete my humpty dumpty puzzle without it."

On top of the carpet of the living room was the Humpty Dumpty puzzle I gave her before I was to leave for my date with Bella.

"Aw, that's too bad. Have you looked under the couch?" I asked but I already know where the piece was, inside my hand. I've decided to play a practical joke on my daughter when I saw the puzzle piece away from its companions.

"I've already checked under the couch and everywhere but it's not there." Her blue eyes brightened but she refused to let her tears fall. Selene believed that crying for any matter was unacceptable; that was hammered into her when she was only four years old. Back then, every time Tanya left to go shopping, Selene would cry for fear that her mother would leave her permanently. Tanya would rage at her daughter and threaten her that she would really leave if she didn't stop crying.

I was too late when I found out what Tanya did. She had kept it from me for two whole years that Selene wouldn't believe me when I said that sometimes we have to cry so we don't bottle up our emotions.

It was depressing to see my little girl trying to act like the adult she wasn't yet. She was only a child once and Tanya- with reasons I couldn't understand –succeeded in forcing her to be her own self when she was only seven years old.

I've been encouraging her to play with her toys and so far, Selene only wanted to play when I'm around.

"I'm sorry that I lost your gift, Daddy." She sniffled.

Realizing that the prank had gone too far, I gave in. "Wait, I think I could see it." I reached behind her ear like I've seen people do in the television. "Is it this puzzle piece?"

"It is!" She smiled and held out her hand to get it but I held it out of her reach.

"Won't you kiss Daddy first for being able to find the piece and for good luck on my date for tonight?" I pointed at my cheek.

"Of course, Daddy." She leaned and planted a kiss on my left cheek. Once she'd attached the piece to her puzzle, she suddenly turned to me with a frown. "Who's your date? Is it Mommy?"

"No, Mommy's out tonight but she's not meeting with me," I lightly replied. The woman's probably out on a date of her own tonight. The housekeeper had told me that Tanya had left sporting a red low-cut dress so that gave me the idea that she's with some guy doing who-knows-what. I've been used to it after living with her for eight years.

"Then who are you going to meet tonight?"

As I gaze into Selene's eyes of a child but with an expression an adult would wear (so serious for her age!), I felt myself sigh. Selene would need a mother that could teach her to have fun and though I've tried my best, what I've done was only a fraction of what she needed. Selene still has trouble socializing with children of her age and opted to stay with the company of adults. She admitted to me one day that the other kids scare her. I chose to let her study at home while I helped her with her problem and she's been doing great. I may be able to get her back to her regular school by next year as long as Tanya didn't do something that would mess all my hard work up.

I may have built my child's confidence up for a year but it could only take one word from Tanya to ruin a year's worth of effort.

"I'm going to introduce her to you some time later on. You'll love her. She's sweet and loveable," _At least, she used to be with me._ "and she'll be your new playmate."

Selene's eye widened. "She won't get mad at me when I asked her to play with me?"

"Of course not! Who wouldn't want to play with you?"

Her eyes darkened at that. "Mommy doesn't. She told me that it's a waste of her time."

Mentally hitting myself at the head for impulsively blurting out the sentence without thinking about it, I gave her a hug. "You're going to find other playmates. I promise."

It was no use trying to convince Selene that her mother wanted to play with her but was too busy to do it when I myself didn't believe it. Besides, Selene was too perceptive and would realize that I wasn't telling her the truth.

"All right," she whispered. "Good luck, Daddy."

"I'd better get going. I'll be back later tonight."

"I know."

"Take care, munchkin."

"I will."


	5. To have and to hold, I'd fight

**Chapter's kinda late notice. I've been typing this at the dead of the night while trying to keep myself awake. Sorry for the late chapter, I just had my best friend back recently and due to the crappy behavior I've treated him before, I needed to make it up to him so I decided to take some time off for a while but now I'm back and though the creative juices are barely flowing, it's still giving enough.**

**I apologize in advance if the grammar's quite bad or something doesn't make any sense. I've tried to proofread but I don't know if I missed some things.**

Chapter Five- To have and to hold, I'd fight to the very end

_Change comes in surprise packages. You sometimes feel it coming but something still catches you off guard or you don't expect anything and everything in your life just blows off course. I've experienced both kinds of changes- both the good and the bad –but nothing else strips you vulnerable than the change you encounter which you didn't expect at all._

_ It was a typically ordinary day- busy day from school, practice with the team, met with my girlfriend for a while and then my mother called out of the blue._

_ When I get phone calls like that from my mother telling me to go home early; it could only be one of two things, it's either a) there's been an emergency or b) my mother had missed me that she decided to call me to tell me to come home early. Since Esme didn't sound frantic or at a loss of words and she seemed in control of herself, I could only gather that she missed me which was totally farfetched because the last time she called me because she just plain missed me was back in Grade Three._

_ The first thing I noticed when I got home was that my parents were waiting for me at the living room, both wearing an odd expression on their faces which was strange in itself because the last time both my parents were home that early in the afternoon was when Grandma Cullen died._

_ "What's going on? Did someone die?" I asked as soon as I dropped my bag on the sofa seat._

_ "No, someone didn't die this time," Carlisle said. "Take a seat, Edward."_

_ They waited until I had taken my seat before proceeding. "There's something that we believe it is time for you to know," Carlisle announced._

_ "What is it?"_

_ And then I was told about my arranged marriage and how it was my duty to unite our company with another's by marrying some anonymous girl; a girl without a face. I won't say that I didn't shed a few tears because I did. I was angry, I was miserable, I felt cheated; I was a mix of emotions that I couldn't describe all at once. I wanted_ _to save my relationship with Bella. I craved a happy ending with her; I wanted it all: a family, the children, the house with the picket fence and the two pets. I wanted my day to end with my wife who will greet me with a kiss after I enter our house who will ask how my day went and who I could share my work's burden with but I wanted it all to be with Bella._

_ I got angry with this girl who was probably in the same helpless situation like I did. I wasn't some 18__th__ century person who needed marriage to secure my position in the society and yet I felt like one. I didn't even know how to tell all of this to Bella. My parents told me that this was all to be kept confidential because the only the lawyer who made the contract and the parents were the only ones in the know. And now it was my turn._

_ I don't know if the girl knew this as well. All that I thought at first was to get back at my parents for keeping this from me for a long time, for not telling me sooner but then sanity returned to me before I could of calling to tell Bella. Whatever they might have done to me, they're still my parents, right? So instead of doing what I first thought I ought to do, I settled to get myself wasted…_

_ Which pretty much resulted to the worst mistake I've ever done in my life._

x

The place where Bella and I first dated was my choice for our date. _A trip back to the past_, was what I first thought when I booked for our date and I thought that it might help soften her when she saw the familiar surroundings but she hardened her resolve when she saw the building.

She was sitting on her chair across from me with her shoulders hunched forward as a way of defense and the frequent glares she sent at me where far from the way she used to look at me. I was about to tell her to relax herself because I wasn't going to bite her but she interrupted me before I could say anything.

"Look here, Cullen, I know we have two weeks to get to know each other better but we both know that it's all just a bunch of crap. We already know each other more than enough. I know you're an unspeakable, conniving and manipulative cad and you know I'm an ignorant, foolish girl you tricked so these two weeks is futile. It's laughable and the only reason why I agreed to it is because I still have some score to settle with you."

Some score to settle? From what I could remember, Bella had left after Tanya had told her the story she had cooked up. She had been in a hurry to leave that she hadn't managed to hear the news that Tanya's story was a fake not that it wouldn't have made any difference with what I did.

"Like what?"

"First, I'm not going to give up. I know there's a chance that I won't get to marry you if I try hard enough. I don't want to be tied down to my tormentor, dammit!" She ended the sentence with another well-delivered glare.

"Tormentor?" Now I was really confused… I may have been overbearing because I wasn't supporting her decision not to push through with the marriage but I haven't done anything violent to her or forced her to do anything- other than the wedding, that is.

Couldn't the mistake be fixed? I knew what I did was unforgivable but criminals with a much graver sin had been given pardons, haven't they? I do admit that I wasn't a victim and if I haven't done something to Tanya, Bella wouldn't be like this.

"Yes, tormentor!"

She thought of me as some kind of sadistic person; torturer of innocents? That was ironic because if nothing else, I thought of nothing about myself but a masochist.

"So you think I'm your tormentor, is that it?"

"Aren't you? You want to continue on with our engagement when you know that it would only end in misery. You must truly be a masochist, huh? Do you enjoy seeing other people in pain, is that it?"

I wanted nothing more than to tell her the truth about what I really felt- but for Bella, they might just seem like words I've caught out of the blue from "fishing"; words that sounded great but contained no real meaning. That's what I seem to be for her at the moment: a person from her past bent on destroying her future. That's all I am to her now, a paradox.

"Now stop interrupting me; second, if you tell my plan to anyone of our parents, you're not going to hear the end of it with me. Third, don't use this two weeks as a chance to make a pass at me, I've gotten over you and to tell you the truth, I've already moved on with my life without you. And lastly, if by some chance I failed to make the parents agree on giving this marriage up, then you are going to follow my rules for the rest of our lives while we're married and I won't get to hear a word of protest from you, got it? Do you want to add something?"

She continued to tweak the stick that had lodged in my heart from long ago. I call that stick, the "memory stick" because every time that I thought of Bella, a certain part of my chest aches like someone was continuously piercing a needle, carving out some message I couldn't understand.

But I really couldn't let Bella get away with what she said without trying to argue my side. I have my pride too and it refused to let me take this lying down like some kind of "Welcome Mat" for Bella's insults.

"Just a few. First, I'm not going to give up on you either, Bella, so whether you want the marriage to happen or not, I'm still going to do my damnedest for it to push through. Second, I'm not going to tell our parents because they have much on their hands without having to hear our childish disagreement."

"_Childish_? There's nothing childish about our disagreement. I detest you and you dislike me, what's childish about that?"

My sweet Bella, I've really missed her so- especially when I'm trying hard not to laugh that she just sounded so childish just now by denying the fact that our disagreement was indeed childish.

"You're wrong. The truth is, I miss you and you just can't accept the fact that you miss me too so while you're trying to break our engagement, I'm going to let you realize how much you have missed me and let's see who wins."

"I don't miss you-"

"Believe what you want to believe and I'll believe what I want to believe. It's like they say, 'we'll just agree to disagree.'"

"There's just something wrong about that, Cullen, because I don't want to agree with anything you say, whether it's to agree to disagree or otherwise."

"Let me finish my say before you protest. I've waited for you to finish your mini tirade at least show me the same amount of tolerance I showed while you were passionately listing every single one of my flaws."

"Third, if you're warning me not to make a pass at you then that means you just told me a little white lie. If you had really moved on without me, you wouldn't have been worried about feeling anything when I make a pass at you. And for your last statement, I'm afraid you won't get to like my answer because you should know that I don't bend to anyone's will and that includes you. If I wanted to get out of this marriage, I would have done it ages ago and since I want to push through with it, no one could stop this marriage from happening. I'd force you into a wedding gown myself and show up with you to any priest, judge or anyone with power to marry us and be done with it."

"You can't possibly be serious about everything you just said!"

"When I say I'll do something, I don't back down on it."

"Why you-"

"Excuse me, penne fresco and pizza margarita?" Our "fight" was interrupted by the waitress who came carrying a tray of our orders.

I was about to make myself comfortable and eat when my phone suddenly rang and I saw the screen flashing out the name, "Tanya Denali" to me like some kind of alarm bell.

I quickly excused myself and prepared myself for bad news because I've learned one thing from learning to deal with Tanya all these years and lesson number one was that when she decided to make her presence known, she was going to show it while being the bearer of bad news.


	6. For better or worse

**I'm SORRY! I know it's been MONTHS since I've last updated but I have a hard time doing re-writes simply because I've already done the story before so I'm a slow updater when it comes to this kind of things. Also add the fact that I've had to concentrate in my studies because my second semester is not as easy as the first. Anyway, I'm sorry for the short chapter as well. Nothing much happens, I know. I hope to make it up soon if my schedule allows time. **

Chapter Six- **For better or for worse**

"Tanya," I managed to say curtly. "To what reason do I owe this call?"

Tanya's melodic, sweet, syrupy voice which was a huge contrast to her character answered, "Good evening, Edward. I just called to tell you that I'd agree to the change in the birth certificate on one condition."

I restrained the urge to sigh. Parallel to her mood swings on whether to change Selene's paternal father on her birth certificate, Tanya had been demanding more stipulations that were not really necessities but luxuries.

"What is it this time?"

"I'd heard about your wedding to Bella. You didn't tell me you were going to get married."

"I didn't think that it was necessary to inform you."

"Let's pause with our pretenses for a minute, Edward. We both know that the reason you didn't think it was necessary to inform me was because if I learned about your impending marriage I would have requested you to postpone it."

"It's good that you were able to second-guess me."

"I have to so you won't get away but I doubt that you were able to second-guess me."

I could almost see her smirk as she said her last sentence. Whatever it was that she wanted, she was sure that her triumph was almost at hand.

"I apologize if I wasn't able to browse for you in the latest _Vogue _magazine for some outfit you're going to ask for me right now if I'm not wrong."

"No, I'm opting for something better," she replied with a little laugh. "And to make it more entertaining, I'd make this my last request in which if you do what I'd say, I'll give my permission to change Mike's name."

"Damn you, this isn't some sort of game like you're making it out as, Tanya. I want Selene's proper upbringing with me as her father because after I've seen the way you treated her for seven years, I'm sure as hell that you're an incompetent mother."

"And who would the courts believe; the workaholic father who could only spare his time off work for once or twice a week or the mother who'd stayed with Selene every night?"

"Don't you dare twist what's happening-"

"You know I could get them to believe me. I have no qualms on the foot I'll step on if only to bring Selene away from you."

"Fine, just tell me what you want me to do."

"I'm glad you're trying to meet me eye to eye. You see, I only want us to have a simple meeting- you, me, Selene and of course, let's not forget, you new wife, Bella. And just so I'm not going to be short on funds, I'll have to request a quarter of what she's bringing you."

"You're out of your mind if that's what you're suggesting. Bella's not yet ready to meet Selene and she's most certainly not prepared to meet you again!"

"That's my last request, Edward. Take it or leave it. I hope you have a pleasant evening, I know I'm having one."

I hung up after hearing her irritating laughter.

Damn her!

She just knew where to push and prod. She just freaking knew, leaving me in a tight spot yet again.

X

"So how was your call?" Bella asked when I got back- almost too giddy. Well, at least one of us was in a good mood.

Murmuring some excuse about a report that someone gave me, I sat down and reached for my slice of pizza. Ignoring the fact that Bella's careful observation of me eating was getting a bit strange, I took the bottle of hot sauce and added more than my usual amount of drops. It was just what I needed after a phone call from Tanya.

Casting my mind around for some sort of conversation starter for us so that my mood couldn't get any worse, I observed others casually while I ate my meal. The pizza was hot which was to be expected because I added more than what was required but its hotness was something else. Too hot. There was too much sauce on the pizza!

I scrambled as I took the glass of water and took a sip of the refreshing water.

And Bella- looking innocent and all –burst out in laughter. Looks like I found my suspect.

"You did this!"

She tried to pretend at first but I had her, I know her and this was the sort of thing she'd do when she felt pressured. It wasn't serious. It was just petty revenge. I was relieved to realize that for the moment that I was able to turn it around to her.

"No, you're only going to get what you want if I cancelled the engagement and besides, I don't want to. _For better or for worse_ we're going to be stuck together, right darling?"

It was the sight of seeing Bella all red and angry that did it, I let myself indulge in the medicine everyone seems to agree on- laughter.


	7. To endure all pain

**Chapter 7**

**To endure all pain- irregardless of count,  
**

**To make her realize, love could still knock.**

X

_By the way, t__his chapter goes out t__o_**_ Kassey4221 _**_for making me smile when she called me Ali. Haha, I never thought that the information that I'd posted three years ago would still be read, analyzed and used when someone reviewed. Thank you for your reviews! ^_^_

X

The pain was excruciating. For the first time ever, I felt myself in the fickle hands of destiny, helpless and alone in all this hurt.

_Make it go away, please_, I moaned as I gripped my hair tightly to suppress it.

Pins and needles torture could probably not come close to this... agony.

I'm sure my fiancee will take the blame, no questions asked- proud of her small victory.

_Maybe I was too harsh when I asked her to eat with me indoors tonight._

I grimaced as my stomach gave another twinge.

_No, _I concluded. Nothing could deserve of punishment!

I went out of the bathroom when I was sure I could control myself to find Bella eating the cursed food contentedly at her seat.

I made a face. I certainly can't eat tonight anymore...

"Whatever you put in there- it's got to be poison. There's no other reason." I wiped away the sweat at my brow. "What did you put in there?"

She gave a sweet smile as though she had no idea why I was acting that way and answered (still grinning and all), "Laxatives."

I choked.

_Laxatives? Surely... surely I didn't deserve that kind of hell on earth!_

"You-!" My voice squeaked. I felt a rush of heat up my face. My dignity's all gone- squeaking like a thirteen-year old teenage boy in front of the girl I'm going to marry. Irreversible. What else could she make me put up with? I swallowed, took a deep breath and resumed my indignation. "You put laxatives in the chicken? _On purpose_?"

"It serves you right, Edward Cullen," she said. No signs of regret was on her face. Only pleasure at the sight of my continuation humiliation.

I couldn't retaliate. My stomach convulsed once more, I went back to my sanctuary.

X

To be honest, I don't think any of my trials and effort had gone well. Bella had only rebuffed it all in turn.

What I need was another angle- a new way for her to soften... or simply, for her to let her guard down while she's in front of me and simply be herself. We could be Edward and Bella once more, not enemies who are at war with each other or individuals who can't say anything because they think it's awkward.

What we need was an ice breaker- one we could enjoy while we're doing it.

The problem with my new angle idea is that I can't let anything pass Bella without her noticing- she's too suspicious of me and my every word and action these days. For all I know, she'd probably think that a single sneeze from me is a signal for someone to attack her while she wasn't watching- or something among those lines.

I can't go for another dinner again- I can't risk another dose of laxative to get pass me again.

I can't give her a gift- she'll think I have a hidden agenda.

Fireworks can't work- it's too damn cold what with the snow and everyone during their Christmas shopping and-

_That's it!_

Shopping for Christmas like those other couples. We could even make it a tradition if all goes well. I'll keep it simple and light to gain back Bella's trust.

It's the only way she'll agree to the thing.

X

"Where do you want to go this Friday?" I asked her that afternoon.

"I was planning to go Christmas shopping this Friday."

"So it's settled, I was also planning to do my Christmas shopping this Friday."

She didn't answer for awhile as she was possibly weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

"Sure," she finally answered slowly.

I grinned and restrained the urge to fly my fist into the air.

"But don't bother me too much while we're shopping, Edward Cullen," she stipulated quickly.

She went on with an excuse about having too much people to give in so little time but the only thing I could comprehend was the realization that I finally guessed what was missing from her whole outfit. I'd been thinking about it since I first saw her. _The necklace! _Exactly a month after we've been dating, I gave Bella a necklace for her to remember me by. The necklace was silver because I've always loved that color._  
_

"Where's your necklace?"

She blinked. "What necklace?"

"The one I gave you for Christmas," I waved my hand impatiently. "Where is it?"

"Oh, it's gone"

"What do you mean it's gone?"

Did she throw it away in some riverbank to forget about me? Or buried it someplace with a sign that marked the place as "Here lies Edward's heart, the guy doesn't even deserve it. R.I.P."

I inwardly shuddered at the thought.

Dramatic though it may be, the idea has some possibilities that she did something like that- or close to it anyway.

"Just what I said. I locked it away where I can't see it anymore because it only reminds me of you."

I felt oddly hollow. No matter what I've thought of, I still clung to a thin line thread of hope that she only forgot to wear it. Hiding it away or even burying it in some way somehow gives me the feeling as though she's buried _me._

I left to gather my thoughts together- and also, because my stomach gave another twist.

_Ow!_

X

Christmas shopping with Bella- albeit separately, was wonderful.

Everyone I encountered was in the spirit of the season. Some were caroling, children were playing and cavorting in the snow while adults looked at their joy with laughter of their own while others carried shopping bags containing gifts for their families and friends.

I went to the toy shop to buy a gift for Selene.

I wanted to buy her a new toy for Christmas. One could never have enough toys- that I could still remember back from when I was a child.

I bought her some board games, two dolls and a new lego set (she keeps losing the pieces).

For Bella, I brought her a silver bracelet with snowflakes design on it to signify that our reunion happened on December.

When I was done, I came back to her from the place where I left her.

"Are you done?"

"Yes." She stood up. And Bella, being Bella, she slipped.

I called out her name and reached out to help her but my efforts went down with me as I fell down on top of her.

I barely managed to get my breath back before Bella had shoved me off, blushing.

What the- _blushing?_!

"What was that about?" she demanded while I removed the snow which clung to my jeans.

The idea was absolutely crazy- not one rational thought had been put into it. Call it a temporary lost of sanity or a delusion. It could not even help progress my relationship with Bella but I still did it anyway.

"It's about this," I replied, pulling Bella towards me and kissing her with all the pent-up longings I have while deep inside me I was thinking, _she's going to hit me!_

**Yep, you can now call me the updating machine for continuously updating my stories non-stop for- how many days was it? Two? Three?**

**It doesn't matter.**

**What matters is the fact that the beginning of summer signifies that I have nothing better to do than write.**

**Waiting to hear those thoughts of yours,**

**jumarxie**


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